


Flight

by beesandoreos



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: BAMF Jack Frost, But He's Still a Weirdo, F/M, Hurt E. Aster Bunnymund, Hurt Jack, Hurt North, Hurt Tooth, Jack Dies, Jack Was Never Really Human, Jack is North and Toothiana's Son, Jack is a Little Shit, Jack is a Tease, M/M, Mass amounts of Fluff, Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Character Death, Totaly AU, but it gets better, lots of pain, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-03-31 13:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3979543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beesandoreos/pseuds/beesandoreos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jack first sees the Easter Bunny, his only thought is, "How is he so attractive?"<br/>Conversely, Bunny nearly faints from shock.<br/>(Or, Jack dies, but doesn't stay that way; Bunny misses the feeling of being happy; Tooth is angry; North is lost; Sandy misses his little friend; And The Man in the Moon knows everything and nothing at the same time.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue : Fall and Rise

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been running around in my head for a while, so I just decided to post it. This is an AU of Jack as North and Tooth's son, if you couldn't tell. So, lets get on with the show!

All through the universe, there is always light. And once, long ago, this light shone brightly in the minds of all. It lit upon cities and all basked in its glorious warmth. No child ever needed to fear, as no matter how powerful the darkness got, light was always there to drive it back.

However, no darkness can ever be truly purged from the world. And in the shadowed corners, where light could never reach, darkness hid. Watching with greedy eyes the happiness and freedom of those who walked within the light.

That which lurks in the shadows is never stupid. It plotted and waited, knowing of a time when darkness would rain supreme.

The light that sufficed all was strong. Steady and secure in the knowledge that the darkness could never best it. However, not even the brightest of souls is without flaw. And in these flaws the darkness festered and grew, contaminating the hearts and minds of the light.

Eventually, one man succumbed to the darkness, tricked by the slippery nature of the dark, and was consumed. And so the darkness rose, sweeping through the universe and snuffing out the light. Razing civilizations to the ground and doing all it could to chase away the Hope and Wonder in the world.

There ended the Golden Age, replaced by fear and pain: the light banished from the universe. But just as the light could never weed out the dark, neither can light ever truly be destroyed. Far at the edges of the universe, on a small planet where the darkness could not quite reach, light flourished, Guarded by four beings. Each representing one part of the light. A Queen, who cherished the memories of love and life and kept them from harm. A Bandit, whose eyes saw only the wonder in the world and bestowed it on others. A fallen star, whose magic reached far and wide, giving light to the dreams of the pure of heart. And a warrior, who fiercely guarded the hope in the hearts and minds of all. Over them presided the Moon; watching over them and keeping them safe, so they in turn could protect the last light of the universe.

As the light grew, so did its guardians. Love blossomed between the guardians of Memory and Wonder. Seeing in each other the happiness they had lost so long ago. They all found strength in each other, and when the darkness found them at last, they locked it away and assured that all that lived on the planet were bright, and unafraid.

In the peace that followed, a child was born. Child of memory and wonder, with the wind nipping at his heels and joy in his heart.

The child of wonder and the guardian of hope were drawn to one another, and between them, soon blossomed love; strong and joyful, filled with faith and laughter.

But no story can have a truly happy ending; the boy was as mortal as his parents had once been. And no mortal soul can last eternity.


	2. What we Never Knew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moments from Jack life, from age five, to age seventeen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically a whole big hunk of origin story. Prepare yourself for mass amounts of fluff.

Jack always hated water. It was something of an irrational fear of his, he was a pretty good swimmer and had never really been given any reason to fear it. His Mom said it was because of his nature. She was a creature of the sky, just as much a bird as a man, and he was very much her son. The thing about birds though, is that they’re fragile. A bird is born, already knowing never to touch the ground if they can help it. And water… well, most birds can’t swim.

Jack wasn’t a bird. And, for that matter, neither was his Mom. Add to that the fact that he was half human, which was a whole other bag of cats. Sure, the fact that he had hollow bones made it possible for the Wind to toss him around a bit, but he didn’t even have wings. So, really, he shouldn’t have had any reason to fear the water.

But maybe, his fear had less to do with instinct and more to do with fate.

When he was 17, Jack drowned.

* * *

 

  **(Age 5)**

Jack loved the Elves. Sure, the Yeti were nice and all, but the Elves always let him do whatever he wanted. The Yeti were always so stern and said things like ‘no Jack, walls are not for painting’ or ‘no Jack, you mustn’t string the Elves up like Christmas decorations’ or ‘no Jack, you cannot jump off the Top floor so the Elves can catch you with a trampoline’. Everything started with ‘no’. And Jack hated the word no.

It was for this reason that he was so elated about being alone with them right now. Technically, he was supposed to be sleeping. Papa said that the Elves were a bad influence on him. He always tried to keep the Elves out of his room at night, but they managed to find a way in every time. The loved to try and make Jack laugh with weird little tricks.

Right now, they were trying to build themselves into a tower, with a base of twelve Elves. It was quite impressive, if a bit concerning.

Jacks head snapped up as he heard the door open. There, in the doorway, stood his Papa. The look on his face stern. The Elves squeaked and toppled over, rolling over each other and scattering around the room. Jack stared at his Papa’s face and gulped. He didn’t want to get in trouble for playing with the Elves alone. Last time, he’d had to clean all the windows in the west wing as punishment.

Pap swept into the room, scattering Elves in his wake. Papa knelt down in front of Jack. He looked at him for a very long time before he asked, “Why do you bring Elves into your room, Jack?”

Jack sniffed and looked down, “I just- I get scared. Its dark, and there’s no one here.”

Papa thought for a moment. Jack was worried that he was going to get in trouble, but then he just said, “Jack. Do you want to come see something? Is something very cool, yes?”

Jack nodded quickly, glad to not be in trouble. Papa smiled and pulled Jack into his arms. Jack snuggled up against his chest, listening to the echoing thump of his heartbeat. When Papa started walking, Jack timed it with the heartbeats, nearly putting him to sleep.

When his Pap tapped him gently on the side of the head, Jack opened his eyes and looked up at his Papa’s face. He was smiling at him.

“Look out the window Jack.” Papa turned him to face one of the huge windows that lined the walls of the Workshop, “What do you see?”

Jack considered the window for a moment, before resolutely saying, “Clouds.”

His Papa laughed, and then nodded, “Yes, little one. There are clouds. But there is more than that, no?”

Jack stared out the window some more, and then said, “The Moon.”

Papa nodded, “Yes Jack. The Moon. And do you know what is special about Moon, my boy?”

Jack pondered for a minute before shaking his head.

Papa looked out at the moon and sighed, “There is man, on Moon. He came here very long time ago. And he made me, your Mother, Sandy and Bunny to be Guardians. For all the children on earth, “ Papa looked down at Jack then, “Like you, little one.”

“So does that mean that he’s always going to be looking after me?” Jack stared up at the Moon, wondering what the man up there was like. If he was nice or if he was mean. Though he didn’t think that he could be too mean if he wanted to keep kids like him safe.

“Always, Jack. The Man in Moon can always see you.”

Jack scrunched up his face as he had a thought, “Even when I pee?”

Papa laughed then, loud and happy, “I do not know. Though I am sure he does not look, if he can.”

Jack relaxed then, “Oh. Okay then. That’s good.”

Papa chuckle for a moment longer before he was quiet. Jack was quiet too for a moment, thinking about the moon, before he asked, “Why did you show me the moon, Papa?”

Papa put him on the ground and kneeled before him looking him in the eye, “What the Moon means Jack, is that you are safe. Always.”

* * *

 

**(Age 7)**

Jack was used to flying. He had grown up flying. His Mom had wings, for MiM’s sake! He was also rather fond of the rides his Papa had taken him on the sleigh. In his opinion, it’d be weirder if he _wasn’t_ used to flying.

However, he was not used to flying on his own. If he could fly unassisted, then he most definitely would. But he was born without wings; a fact he lamented every day. He got his Mother’s hollow bones and lithe build, but lacked feathers and the capacity to keep himself aloft.

He had often imagined what his first time flying would be like. What it would be like to feel the wind in his hair, and to be able to fly off to wherever he wished, unrestricted by the limits of the ground and his own feet. Never in any of those dreams had he imagined the Wind itself lifting him.

The first time it happened, he screamed. He’d been falling off a gargantuan pile of snow that he and the yeti had constructed and into the banks bellow, when suddenly, he wasn’t falling anymore. It didn’t last for very long, and he had just enough time to register his hair whipping past his face and his lack of movement before he resumed his descent. When he suddenly started moving again, he screamed his lungs out until the air was knocked out of his lungs by his impact with the snow drift.

When he dug himself out again, he immediately jumped to his feet. He took off in the direction of the Workshop, turning over his shoulder to yell at the yeti, “Don’t worry! I’m fine! Just gotta talk to Mom!” He then continued his sprint, moving as fast as he could through the deep snow.

There were several doors spread out over the ground level of the Workshop, enabling access to those who were keyed into the wards. He sprinted towards the lowest one, yelling “Phil! Phil! Open the door!”

The matronly Yeti peeked his head out the door, only to whip it around, watching as Jack streaked by him. Jack really did like the Yeti, and normally would have stopped to talk to him. But he was on a mission right now, and had no time to talk.

He ran through the halls, trying to get to his Papa’s workshop as fast as he could. That’s where he knew his Mom and Papa would be. When he got close enough that he thought they might be able to hear them, he started yelling, “Mom! Papa! Something amazing happened!”

He kept up his yelling until he reached the end of the hall, where he was swept up in the giant arms of his Papa, and tossed in the air. He giggled gleefully, grabbing onto the fabric of his Papa’s shirt.

His Papa lowered him to the ground, going on one knee so he could look Jack in the eye. His Mom hovered at his side, dropping to her knees beside Papa. Papa laughed at him and said, “What is it my Boy? What is wonderful thing that has happened?”

Jack wiggled with joy at just the thought of what had happened earlier, before yelling out, “I flew!”

Papa and Mom exchanged a look with each other, before Mom scooted closer to him, pulling his hands into hers, “What do you mean by that, Sweet Tooth?”

Jack jumped in place, saying, “The Wind picked me up! I was falling and it picked me up!”

Papa started laughing; a great big, belly laugh that made Jack giggle along with him, then he said, “It seems Wind has taken liking to our boy, no?”

Mom looked a little worried for a moment, leaning in to whisper something in Papa’s ear. Papa laughed again and said, “No! Is very good thing! Must be your genes. Wind was very fond of you too, when you came, no? It has just chosen our boy now, instead!”

Mom relaxed, and Jack relaxed as well, having unconsciously tensed up with Mom. Jack giggled when Papa threw him up in the air again, shrieking with laughter when the Wind came up behind him and gave him a little boost up into the air.

And if Jack was caught trying to jump off the top floor banister, well, it was the first and only time he ever tried, and no harm came of it.

* * *

 

**(Age 10)**

Jack loved the Mini Fairies. They were tiny fluffy friends that liked to give him little fairy sized toys. He had spent many an hour playing with them and trying to catch them. But he was always sure to be extra gentle with them, careful to cup his hands in a way that wouldn’t crush their wings. He didn’t want to hurt any of them. When he was younger, Mom had told him that they were all his sisters, and that he had to be extra sure to never hurt any of them.

Jack tried to be fair, and to play with all of them equally - he didn’t want to leave any of his sisters out after all - but he did have a favorite. She was the one that spent the most time with him. She was one of Moms lieutenants, which meant that she was able to get away to play with him when Mom was busy.

He called her Baby Tooth.

* * *

 

**(Age 13)**

Jack liked spending time with Sandy. He got to sit on the dream sand cloud with him and look over the world from his perch in the sky. Despite his dreams of it, he had never quite managed to fly under his own power. The Wind still liked to follow him around, giving him boosts and pushes whenever she thought he needed it, but they had never managed to get him off the ground. At least, not since he was 6. He had quickly gotten too big for the Wind to lift, even with his hollow bones. So the view that this offered was like heaven to him.

It wasn’t just the view that drew him to these nights with Sandy though. He liked spending time with the silent Guardian. It was peaceful, being able to just sit in someone’s company and not feel the need to fill the silence with chatter. He was normally a very talkative person, but with Sandy, he didn’t feel the overwhelming need to speak like he normally did.

And even when he and Sandy did talk, Jack verbally and Sandy with his pictures, the conversations they had were entertaining and usually about something that Jack felt was worth talking about. His parents tended to try and keep him away from all of the nasty stuff out in the world, and thus kept him out of the loop.

Sandy didn’t do that. He looked Jack in the eye and told it how it was. You know. As much as Sandy ever ‘said’ anything. He came up at least once a week to sit with Sandy. He seemed to appreciate the company, and Jack was pretty sure that without the dose of relative solitude and silence it provided, he would go crazy.

It was a good deal for both of them, or at least he assumed it was. And Sandy had yet to kick Jack out, so he just kept coming back. He would keep coming back as long as he could.

* * *

 

**(Age 16)**

Jack loved to prank Bunny. It wasn’t a malicious thing. Not really. It was more a matter of how he reacted to the pranking that made it so much fun. He made the most wonderful faces, and always looked around for the perpetrator for extended periods of time; an intensely frustrated look on his face that Jack found absolutely hilarious.

It also may have had to do with the fact that he had absolutely no idea how to get his attention. Jack, though he would be loath to admit it to anyone, had a bit of a crush on Bunny (he refused to call it anything other than a crush, despite the warm fuzzy feeling he got in his chest when Bunny smiled).

He loved to be the center of his attention, even if it was out of annoyance and only for a short period of time. The way Bunny focused on him, like he was the entire world, was worth any punishment he could suffer. Not that it was ever really that bad. The worst he’d ever been made to do to make amends was herding the egglets one Easter, and even that had been kind of fun after a while. He got to make them move in patterns. They were surprisingly good listeners, considering their lack of actual ears.

He wasn’t sure when Bunny would discover his latest contraption, but it couldn’t be long now. It was about the time that he finished weeding his garden, and went back to his Burrow for some food. Bunny was a very regulated person, not allowing himself to deviate even the slightest from his schedule. He would be loath to let anything distract him from his routine, which meant going to his kitchen. And the second he did-

Jack was pulled out of his wonderings by a yank on his hood. He was dragged out of the tree he’d been laying in and held aloft in front of a fuming Bunny. His fur was plastered with paint and glitter, making the pattern of an Australian flag. Jack giggled at the sight of him, and wiggled from his place in the air. Bunny growled at him and dropped him on the ground.

Jack felt the wind get knocked from him, and he lay on the ground, staring up at Bunny’s face.

 Bunny stared at him for a good long while, and unreadable look on his face. Jack wasn’t quite sure what was going on, so he just stood there, feeling increasingly uneasy as the seconds slipped by. He wasn’t aware that he had done something offensive, but he must have if Bunny was reacting this way. Bunny made a funny little growling noise and Jack thought it might be time to say something.

“Look, I-“ He was cut off by a mouth sealing over his own. It was incredibly awkward, what with the difference in face shape. Bunny’s nose dug into the side of his face, and he could feel his own nose pressing into something in a way he was sure wasn’t pleasant for Bunny. It was also the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him.

He was sure that all they needed was practice. He definitely liked the sound of practice.

Bunny pulled away and Jack could hear himself whine. Before Bunny could even open his mouth to speak, Jack had thrown himself at him, wrapping his arms and legs around him and shoving his mouth over his. Bunny stiffened for a couple seconds, and then resumed kissing Jack with equal fervor.

After a while, they both pulled back again, panting for breath.

Bunny took one look at Jack and burst into laughter. At first, Jack was extremely concerned. That was not the reaction he had been expecting. He felt himself start to flush, and he reached up to feel his face. His fingers came into contact with something wet and tacky. He pulled them back and gazed at the paint coating the tips of his fingers.

Jack slowly started laughing too, and pressed his face into the crook of Bunny’s neck. They stayed like that for a long time, just basking in each other’s presence. They’d talk later. Then there could be awkward confessions and a good amount of cuddling if Jack had any say in it. But for now, he was content just to stand there, face pressed into Bunny’s chest.

* * *

 

**(Age 16)**

Tooth was a good Mom. That, Jack could say with absolute certainty. Jack could also say that he wasn’t the slightest bit worried about her not excepting him. There was no scenario in which he could imagine the absence of his Mother’s love.

However, all of this did nothing to sooth his fear. He supposed it was normal. Being afraid. Especially in this situation. No one wanted to tell their Mother that they were sort of dating their friend who was older than them by a few thousand years.

Jack shuffled awkwardly outside the Tooth Palace. He had spent half his life here and it had never before seemed this terrifying. He took a few more deep breaths and the marched up the stairs. When he reached the doors, he stood at them awkwardly for a moment, wondering if this really was such a good idea after all. Up close, this all seemed just that much more intimidating, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to put himself through this.

Abruptly, the doors opened on their own, beckoning him to enter. That meant that his Mom had noticed his presence and was telling him to come in. He walked shakily inside, wondering just how badly this was going to end. Worst case scenario, she told Papa and he locked him away in his room at the Workshop for the rest of his life and forbid him from seeing Bunny. He was pretty sure that wasn’t what was going to happen, but he did have to acknowledge the possibility. He really hoped that that wasn’t how this ended up, if merely for the fact that he didn’t think he could take being locked in his room all day. He was also fairly sure that he would miss being able to see Bunny.

The Baby Teeth swarmed around him, greeting him by pulling at bits of his hair and chattering in his ears. He smiled at them, murmuring, “Hey guys. It’s nice to see you too.”

The all beamed at him, and their tweeting increased in volume. Suddenly, the sea of small fairies parted and Baby Tooth came pelting at him. Jack laughed and caught her in his hands. He looked down at his palms to see the little fairy tugging at his thumb.

“You want me to follow you?” Baby Tooth was normally the only one who know where his Mom was at all times, as she was her second in command. The switched off shifts for who was giving orders to all the other Mini Fairies. That way neither of them was on duty all the time.

Baby Tooth nodded vigorously and Tugged on his thumb again. Jack laughed, “Ok. Ok. Lead the way, little one.”

Baby Tooth lead him through corridor after corridor. Most of the palace was designed solely for the Mini Fairies use, so all of the passages suitable for the use of anyone larger than a golf ball had ended up being extremely maze-like, with more twists and turns and dead ends than a person could imagine. Eventually, the reached a high ceilinged room, with stained glass windows shining multicolored light down into the center of the room Toothiana hovered there, in all her feathered glory. Jack never thought he’d find the sight of his Mom intimidating, but in this case that was the only word that came to mind.

She looked down and smiled at him, “Jack!

When she fluttered down, she pulled him into a quick hug, but when she pulled back, her sunny smile quickly morphed into a frown.

Jack wasn’t sure what his face was doing, but I mustn’t have been pleasant, as Tooth immediately started expressing her concern, “Sweet Tooth are you ok? You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

Jack sighed and dragged a hand over his face, “That’s because I kind of haven’t.” He had sat on his bed in the North Pole and agonized over how to go about telling his parents about him and Bunny. It wasn’t exactly easy to tell your parents about your new boyfriend.

His Mom’s face scrunched up in concern and she put a hand on his face, smoothing a thumb over his cheek, “What’s wrong Jack?”

Jack looked down and bit his lip. He still hadn’t worked out exactly how he should say this.

Tooth fit a hand under his chin and tilted his head so he was looking at her. She smiled softly at him and said, “Whatever it is, you can tell me. “

Jack nodded and took one last deep breath, before saying, “I’m sort of, maybe, dating Bunny?” The words were increasingly quiet as the sentence progressed, until he was almost surprised his Mom heard them.

Tooth looked at him, unblinking for the barest second, and then she smiled slightly, “Oh Sweet Tooth. Is that what you were scared of?”

Jack flushed and nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Tooth laughed and pulled him into a gentle hug, wrapping her slender arms around Jack. He felt himself relaxing into her embrace, wondering at the things his Mothers mere presence could do to him. It was nice.

Tooth pulled back and looked him in the eyes, “Sweet Tooth. Jack. You never have to worry about telling me something like that. I’ll never stop loving you.”

Jack felt something that had been clenched tight in him unwind. He let out a breath and smiled at his Mom, “That’s really good to hear.” And it was. He had been so terrified of telling her, that he had convinced himself that it would be awful. It was wonderful to have all of those fears waved away so easily.

Now, all he had to worry about was his Papa. He was pretty sure that was worse.

* * *

 

**(Age 17)**

One day, when Jack was laying in the Nest with Bunny after a long day of trying to keep up with his Mom at her job, Jack looked up at Bunny and felt an over whelming desire to say something.

Jack had never really learned how to filter his words, and so the first thing he said was, “I love you.”

Jack froze, unsure of what to do. He hadn’t meant for that to come out of his mouth. And while it was okay for mushy words to run rampant inside his head, things got messy the second they started coming out. He wasn’t very good at feelings, and usually ended up stumbling over his words the second the topic came up. Usually, it was with his Papa or his Mom, and he could just laugh it off. This, however, did not feel like something he could just laugh off.

He stared at Bunny for a very long time, waiting for something to happen. He wasn’t sure how long the silence stretched out between them, Bunny looking increasingly tense as the seconds slipped by.

Jack was just starting to squirm when Bunny said, “You mean that, Jacko?”

Jack took a deep breath, closed his eyed, and nodded. There was no going back now. Suddenly, he felt a large arm surround him, yanking him closer, and his eyes snapped open, “Bunny-“

Bunny nuzzled the top of Jack head, and then pulled him so that he was situated against him and under his jaw. Jack was still for a moment, a bit shocked that there wasn’t yelling yet, before he relaxed against the large furry chest.

A moment later, Bunny murmured, almost too quiet for Jack to hear, “I love you too, ya gumby.”

Slowly, a blinding grin stole over Jacks face and he pressed against Bunny, soaking in his warmth. He could feel a low rumble starting in Bunny’s chest, and he let himself drift off to sleep.

The next day, when Bunny looked at Jack and told him to call him ‘Aster’, Jack tackled him in a kiss, and wouldn’t let him up even when the egglets swarmed over them and they became a giant cuddle pile of squirming eggs.

* * *

 

**(Age 17)**

Jack wasn’t expecting to die. Really, when you got down to it, very few people were. It took a special kind of person to anticipate death.

They didn’t really know whether or not he was immortal. He was kind of an accident in the first place.It was pretty uncommon for winter spirits, and even spirits associated with winter, to have children. Most of those spirits tended to either be infertile, or antisocial, neither of which lent themselves to the production of offspring. However, Papa had managed to avoid being either. And spirit children tended to be a bit of a gamble in the first place, with intent playing a big part. Some of them ended up being as their parents were, ceasing to age at some point in their lives. Others were mortal, and usually had the same life span as the form they took.

They had no idea which category Jack fell into, as he had yet to either stop aging, or die of old age. This had caused some problems occasionally, however, it wasn’t really a big idea in Jack’s life. Death, that is.

So it stood to reason that he hadn’t really considered dying as a viable option in the near future. When he ran out on to the ice, his heart tearing at his ribs with his fear, he didn’t really consider falling in. He was incredibly light. Having hollow bones will do that to a person, and every thought of his own safety had been eradicated the second he saw a child out on the ice.

She was young, with light brown hair and dark eyes. She was crying, her feet spread out to try and stop the ice from cracking beneath her more than it already had.  It was only when the ice started to fracture under his own feet that he knew he was in trouble. But he smiled, and ignored it, holding out a hand to the girl and praying to MiM.

She looked across at him, dark eyes full of fear, and slowly inched forward, placing her hand on the crooked branch he had extended. He smiled reassuringly; called it a game, and pulled her away from the ice.

He looked down at the ice, then back at the girl. Just long enough to see her face disappear and be replaced by dark water.

When he looked up at the sky through the hole, shadows bared down on him, and he barely had time to lash out with his hands and feet before he was pushed further beneath the ice.

He struggled against the shadows under the ice, straining to reach the surface. He could vaguely hear a voice calling him, but it grew dimmer by the second, and soon his struggles petered out. It was incredibly difficult to fight against something you couldn’t hit back, and he was just so cold. He felt a burning start in his lungs, soon spreading through his entire body.

The last thing he heard was someone yelling his name, before everything was black.

* * *

 

That night, there was a hush over the world. Children pulled shut their windows and even the bravest and oldest of them dug out old nightlights to keep away the shadows. Adults looked out at the silent streets, shivered in the indescribable chill that had settled in the air, and locked their doors. It was as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for what would happen next.

Far away, among the snow and ice, a storm raged. At its center, a massive building. Windows that usually glowed with merry light were dark. Toys hung, motionless from their hooks. Kites abandoned on the ground, no magic wind to keep them aloft any longer.

The only sound in the building came from a small congregation in the center of the structure. Four people stood around a pier, candles in hand. Around them stood a hoard of yeti, expressions of sorrow upon their faces. Elves gathered to the side, jingling belled hats mournfully.

At the center of the circle was a picture of a boy with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. His eyes glittered with mirth, expressed even through the photo.

It was this boy they mourned. And the world mourned with them.

* * *

 

Jack Frost always wore a hood. No one knew why, only that he did, and that no one had ever seen his face. He was something of an enigma in the spirit world.

People knew what he did; had a vague idea of what he was like. In different circumstances, this sort of anonymity would be fairly normal. Some people were excessively private and very good at avoiding others. But in a world of spirits, which was rather small – small enough that everybody at least knew what everybody looked like- it was quite unusual. It wasn’t completely unheard of for some spirits to skirt under the radar, but those were always lesser spirits. Spirits with a very specific area of influence, that didn’t really affect anyone with their goings on. It seemed impossible a powerful spirit, such as Jack Frost could remain unknown for so long. He oversaw the whole of winter on the western half of the world, and that wasn’t exactly small or specific.

So, yes Jack Frost was a bit strange. In the first few years of his existence, a favorite pass time of some of the spirits was to try and figure out the mysterious Jack Frost. New gossip was always appreciated, and all spirits even vaguely associated with winter, and therefore Jack Frost, were thoroughly interrogated.

However, when no new information emerged after 50 years, the interest petered out. The only thing they knew about him was that they knew nothing about him, and there was only so long they could sit around and imagine what he was like.

And so Jack Frost faded into the background, going mostly unnoticed for years and years. There was a brief flair up of new interest after the incident in ’68, but that was very short lived. The only spirit who had actually seen Jack Frost that day was the Easter Bunny, and everybody knew that he was furious about it. It was very possible that he made the whole thing up in his rage.

But, it eventually came about that Jack Frost was largely forgotten. Even by the world of the spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was infinitely more exhausting than I thought it was going to be. I don't know how I'm going to handle the more emotionally taxing ones. Oh well. Needs must and all. Hope you enjoyed this installment! reviews are always welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> This story is unfinished, so updates will be sporadic, and likely unread by any eyes other than mine. I really like the premise of this story, so I have great hopes that it will update fairly regularly. I would appreciate any opinions or criticism that you can offer!


End file.
